AH Challenge: WWII is like a game of Axis & Allies

[luakel]

A&A is a WW2 wargame that tends to deviate in strategy from the real war. Some ways how are below:

• The Leningrad Area is the only area that matters & is fought over on the Eastern Front
• Britain always invades Scandinavia to open up a route to Russia
• The USA launches a massive D-Day invasion with ships based out of the Continental USA
• German U-Boots wipe out the whole Royal Navy but are soon crushed nevertheless
• Japan launches a second Pearl Harbor attack and the US pulls out of the Pacific
• Japan advances on all fronts in Asia, often reaching the gates of Moscow by sending tanks through Siberia

So what PODs could get all of the above in WWII?

 

[Jasen777]

What Japan is able to do in that game is really annoying (fun game to play, although horribly unrealistic).

To get what you want it's really ASB.

All Asians must be pacifist (excepting Soviet or Japanese ones). So, China will be defended solely be a small U.S. force that will have no ability to reinforce. India and the Middle East will be defended solely by U.K. forces (or I suppose Soviet forces, although their front with Germany is almost always the decisive area in the game). In fact the native inhabitants of those areas must to alot of logistical and industrial work freely for whoever moves troops by.

Germany and especially Japan must somehow gain alot of industrial capability overnight.

Russia and Germany each commit 80% of their ground forces to single battles against each other.

That's I start I guess...

Oh, and the performance of different countries' equipment will be exactly the same. That is, a Japanese and Soviet tanks have exactly the same effectiveness.

 

[aktarian]

That depends on how you play it but for me:

• The Leningrad Area is the only area that matters & is fought over on the Eastern Front

Hardly. I usualy go for Caucasus, not Karelia. Less defended.

• Britain always invades Scandinavia to open up a route to Russia

Not always. I often land stuff directly on Karelia

• The USA launches a massive D-Day invasion with ships based out of the Continental USA

Not me. Africa first, then build up in UK

• German U-Boots wipe out the whole Royal Navy but are soon crushed nevertheless

True

• Japan launches a second Pearl Harbor attack and the US pulls out of the Pacific

Depending on players but we often have see-saw battles at Midway/PH. IJN destroys USN, which counterattacks and destroys IJN which counter attacks....

• Japan advances on all fronts in Asia, often reaching the gates of Moscow by sending tanks through Siberia

I usualy concentrate on India and southern Asia. Less defended and less chances for reinforcements.

BTW, has anybody eve tried "Indian speedbump" strategy where UK builds IC in India?

 

[Jasen777]

BTW, has anybody eve tried "Indian speedbump" strategy where UK builds IC in India?

That only works if the Japanese player is incompetent. Assuming you stick with the rule that new industrial complexes can only place a limited number of units per turn.

 

[Dave Howery]

ah, yes, A&A... I remember the first time I played the board game version of this... I got stuck with Japan... captured Pearl Harbor, India, Alaska, Western Canada, Mexico, Brazil, all of China, two parts of Siberia, all of SE Asia, New Zealand...

...and then gambled on an invasion of Australia and lost big time. Damn Aussies.

...and I still didn't win... Germany did, because the USA was so distracted by the rampaging Japanese that they didn't have anything to spare for Europe, and Russia crumbled...

 

[aktarian]

That only works if the Japanese player is incompetent. Assuming you stick with the rule that new industrial complexes can only place a limited number of units per turn.

Not necessary. If Japan invades India on turn 1 it's about even chance they'll loose. UK has transporter in sea so you have to take that one out. Plus defences are not that weak. Plus Japan doesn't have tanks to attack India so it has to use planes to beef up the attack. And planes are needed to take out that transporter.

 

[Jasen777]

But if they Japanese player sees the U.K. player put a complex in India they could build a very strong attack for turn 2 and after. The U.K. can only reinforce 3 units per turn (and not til the second turn). So they're unlikely to hold out long term if the Japanese player makes than their priority, which they should if the U.K. puts a complex there.

Maybe they U.K. player could do it, if they were wiling to commit all of there production to it, although I still think you'd need a incompetent Japanese player. But maybe I'm setting to high a standard for not being "incompetent." I've done it as the U.K. player, but only against the computer has it worked.

 

[aktarian]

But if they Japanese player sees the U.K. player put a complex in India they could build a very strong attack for turn 2 and after. The U.K. can only reinforce 3 units per turn (and not til the second turn). So they're unlikely to hold out long term if the Japanese player makes than their priority, which they should if the U.K. puts a complex there.

Maybe they U.K. player could do it, if they were wiling to commit all of there production to it, although I still think you'd need a incompetent Japanese player. But maybe I'm setting to high a standard for not being "incompetent." I've done it as the U.K. player, but only against the computer has it worked.

If Japan doesn't strike in turn 1 then US can send it's fighter from one of their Asian terries and go on offensive in Pacific. If Japan is saving it's planes for India then it either can't strike at USN at Hawaii or is defeated there. So you have pretty strong USN surviwing and moving east.

 

[luakel]

Aktarian, are you talking about the new version? Alot of the strategies are different there, especially with Russia.

Indian speedbump is only useful if the UK is willing to let Germany run a bit wild so that it can slow down Japan. The Pearl Harbor attack isn't a good idea IMO- the ships used can be vulnerable to a counterattack that the US will have a fair chance of winning. Better to take out the whole fleet at once.

 

[aktarian]

Aktarian, are you talking about the new version? Alot of the strategies are different there, especially with Russia.

Indian speedbump is only useful if the UK is willing to let Germany run a bit wild so that it can slow down Japan. The Pearl Harbor attack isn't a good idea IMO- the ships used can be vulnerable to a counterattack that the US will have a fair chance of winning. Better to take out the whole fleet at once.

The new version? I have second version rules and we always play with SU restricted on first turn.

 

[luakel]

The new version? I have second version rules and we always play with SU restricted on first turn.

By new version I mean the 2004 one... why go after India strong though? A smart UK player might just abandon it to retake Egypt- plus Germany needs Japan to attack Russia in order to lift the pressure on it.

And what's the point of attacking Caucasus?

 

[Adam]

And what's the point of attacking Caucasus?

To follow historical traditions, perhaps?

 

[aktarian]

By new version I mean the 2004 one... why go after India strong though?

3 IPs

A smart UK player might just abandon it to retake Egypt- plus Germany needs Japan to attack Russia in order to lift the pressure on it.

That's 10% of UK's IPs. And Egypt has about even chance of holding. It makes no sense to just abandon India. I generaly don't need Japan to take pressure of Germany. With a bit of luck SU is out by turn 3

And what's the point of attacking Caucasus?

Same IPs as Karelia but often less defended.

 

[Superguy]

I've never played this game before. Seems interesting though.

 

[luakel]

3 IPs



That's 10% of UK's IPs. And Egypt has about even chance of holding. It makes no sense to just abandon India. I generaly don't need Japan to take pressure of Germany. With a bit of luck SU is out by turn 3



Same IPs as Karelia but often less defended.

Jebus, how does the SU lose so quickly in your games? Usually the troop buildup unsing the IC in Karelia slows down the Jerries...

 

[aktarian]

Jebus, how does the SU lose so quickly in your games? Usually the troop buildup unsing the IC in Karelia slows down the Jerries...

Turn 1: take Karelia or caucassus
Turn 2: consolidate and bring up reinforcemnts
Turn 3: strike Moscow

But as I said, it depends on luck notably how much casualties Germans took and how much of soviet forces did they destroy

 

[Jasen777]

It helps that you play the Soviet restricted option.